Types of Leather in Men's Accessories
When looking at the quality of an item, most people just check whether it is genuine leather, and this normally involves sniffing the item in question. Leather actually comes in a variety of grades and standards which affect the durability and longevity of the product. It is easier to tell when you can touch and feel the item, so here is a comprehensive guide to leather to help you fully understand the quality of every single one of our products.
Firstly the key term to look for when purchasing leather goods is full-grain. This really is the dog’s bollocks of the leather industry. This covers all high quality hides which have been minimally treated and are the most even in colour and texture. It is normally from cows which have been raised in Northern Europe, where they are kept in small herds, have plenty of feed and the landscape is green. Poorer quality hides are usually from South America, where they are kept in groups of up to 20,000, are given dry feed and are susceptible to insect bites and barbed wire scratches.
Full grain leather guarantees that the leather hasn’t been split. It is possible to get several layers of leather out of one hide, which is very cost effective, but leaves the leather thin and not as durable. Basically full grain is the most natural and unprocessed form of leather, as it is such high quality it doesn’t need to be tampered with.
Next down in the rankings is top grain leather. This sounds as if it should be the best, but ‘top’ actually refers to it being the top of the hide. Often this is marked or damaged, so they sand it down, removing all the natural grain, and then stamp an imitation grain to give it a more uniform appearance. This is called corrected grain. The corrected type is still a thicker type of leather, so it is just as durable as full grain, however the appearance and feel isn’t as luxurious.
Next you have the lower quality but much cheaper leathers. Split leather is what is left when a hide is split in two. The top part is the top grain leather and what remains is referred to as the split. The split is much thinner than top grain leather, so therefore it is not as durable and it needs to be more heavily processed so it often has a more artificial appearance. This however is still superior to the next type, which is actually only a leather mix.
Reconstituted leather is a man made material which is normally approximately 90% leather fibres. These are often scraps left over which would be useless so they are reformed with latex binders to create a material which looks and feels just like genuine leather, but at a fraction of the cost. This is great for fashion belts or more disposable items as the price is greatly reduced in comparison to genuine leather.
Each type of leather has its place within the market and offers different advantages. We hope this guide may help you understand exactly what you are buying and allow you to make an informed decision.
